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Frank Pentangeli
Frank 'Frankie Five Angels' or 'Frankie Pants' Pentangeli was a caporegime in the Corleone Family. Biography Frank Pentangeli was born in Partinico, a small town outside of Palermo, Sicily. He immigrated to America, where he became good friends with Pete Clemenza, who later had Pentangeli initiated into the Family. Pentangeli was a caporegime under the Pete Clemenza-Corleone Regime in New York while Michael and Fredo Corleone are in Las Vegas. He took over the position following the death of Clemenza. Pentangeli is a very old associate and family friend, having worked with Vito Corleone in the early days of their olive oil business. He inherited most of the family business in New York. Pentangeli and the Rosatos Near the beginning of the story, Pentangeli approaches Michael to ask for his help in eliminating the Rosato Brothers, his rivals in New York, who claimed to have been promised territories by Clemenza prior to his death, but Michael refuses. He orders Pentangeli to do nothing, as he does not want a war to interfere with an upcoming deal with Hyman Roth, who supports the Rosato Brothers. Pentangeli takes this as an insult and leaves in anger. Later that night, Michael narrowly escapes an assassination attempt at his home. Suspecting that Hyman Roth was behind the assassination attempt, Michael meets with Pentangeli and asks him to help take his revenge. Pentangeli agrees, promising to end his feud with the Rosato Brothers and giving the impression that Michael supported their claim, so as to give Roth the impression that Michael did not know he was conspiring against him. At this time, Dominic Corleone, who had recently succeeded Aldo Trapani as Don of New York, began to collaborate with Pentangeli on a revenge plot. Back in New York, Frank arranges a meeting with the Rosato Brothers to make a new deal with them. However the deal is a set up and Tony Rosato himself, garrotes Pentangeli. In revenge, Dominic Corleone eliminated Carmine Rosato and took over his compound. The FBI Hearings Later, at a Congressional Hearing, Pentangeli is presented as a surprise witness for the prosecution, believing that Michael ordered the Rosato Brothers to kill him. He has been in the custody of the FBI since the murder attempt, and is prepared to testify that Michael is a Mafia Don and has ordered countless murders for the Corleone Family, as well as having personally murdered a police captain. Because Pentangeli's protective custody is so secure, Michael knows he will be unable to have him killed before the trial. Instead, he flies Pentangeli's brother in from Sicily, who appears in the courtroom. Upon seeing his brother, Vincenzo, Frank Pentangeli recalls the importance of "Omerta" and then recants his earlier statements, saying that he runs his own family, and claims that the Corleone Family is innocent of any wrongdoing, thereby derailing the government's case. Suicide After the hearing, Tom Hagen visits Pentangeli. Pentangeli discusses how tough his brother is, much tougher than himself. Hagen tells Pentangeli that he did the right thing by recanting, and that if he accepts responsibility for turning on the Corleone Family, his own family will always be taken care of and remain unharmed. He thanks Hagen, returns to his room, and slits his wrists in the bathtub with his shaving razor, killing himself. Personnality and Traits Real Life Sources Frank Pentangeli could possibly be based on well known Mafia turncoat Joseph Valachi. He was also loosely based on Larry Gallo, who was also strangled in a bar and survived because policemen interrupted. Category: Corleones Pentangeli Pentangeli, Frank